


Allergies

by anothercrazymom



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Allergies, Community: cottoncandy_bingo, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-10
Packaged: 2018-01-11 20:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1177456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anothercrazymom/pseuds/anothercrazymom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small bit of fluff for the Cotton Candy Bingo prompt 'Allergies'.  Miles isn't feeling well, and Ekaterin is left to deal with the situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Allergies

 

Ekaterin looked at the sleeping form of her husband and listened to the soft wheeze that emanated from his form.  He had said it was allergies when he had gone to bed early last night.  He had said it was allergies when he had woken up at 3 am coughing.  He had said it was allergies when he took the fever reducer before breakfast.  He had said it was allergies when he had gone back to bed saying he would just rest a little before his meeting this afternoon.

She looked out the window at the snow covered ground.  There wasn’t a plant growing outside for miles.  Nothing was flowering or blooming and hadn’t been for weeks.  She wasn’t buying his allergy theory.  But there wasn’t much she could do to convince him otherwise especially while he was sleeping.

But she could worry.  And she could cancel his afternoon meeting.  He wasn’t going to be in any shape to meet with anyone, much less with Gregor to get another assignment.  

She left him sleeping and walked to the library to make the call.

She dialed the number and was connected to a well-dressed young man who addressed her by name.  “How can I help you today, Countess Vorkosigan?”

She smiled.  Even after being married for twelve years it was still a thrill to be Countess Vorkosigan. “Could you let the Emperor know that Miles is ill and won’t be able to make the meeting this afternoon?”

“Certainly.  I will forward the information presently,” he said, typing on a console somewhere to the left of the screen.

“Thank you,” she said and prepared to disconnect the call.

The young man looked back at the screen he had typed on and began again, “Milady, I am to forward your call to the Emperor directly.  Please stay on the call.”

Ekaterin watched as the young man’s face was replaced by the concerned visage of her husband’s older foster brother and the Emperor of Barrayar.  

“Miles is sick?” the Emperor asked.

“I think so,” she replied.  “He insists that it is allergies, but...”

“In February?” Gregor questioned.  “Have you called a doctor?”

“Dr. Tovar is out-of-town.  His daughter got married yesterday.  Miles doesn’t like the on-call doctor and I haven’t even broached the subject of trying to get him to ImpMil.  I doubt he would agree to that even if he were dying.”  At the shocked face of the Emperor she hastened to add, “I don’t think he is that ill. I would find a way if I truly thought it was that important.”

He looked a little less worried.  “I hope he feels better soon,” he said quietly.

“He will.  I am sure he will be better soon, Sire.”

“Let me know if anything changes.”

“Of course, Sire.”

The comconsole call ended and Ekaterin turned to see Armsman Derwent standing beside the door.  

“Milady?”

“Yes, Derwent?”

“The children want to play outside in the snow.”

“That’s fine.  I’m going to go check on Miles.”

“Of course, milady.  If you need anything just ask,” he said.

“Miles will be fine.”

“Yes, milady.”

Ekaterin slowly walked around the bottom floor of the house trying to figure out how to deal with the stubborn and unstoppable man she had married.  After nearly half an hour she had reached no new conclusions and walked up the stairs.  She walked back to the room where Miles was still fitfully sleeping only to find that he wasn’t alone.  Armsman Roic sat in a chair holding a pad and doing a poor job of reading it.  

He looked up as she walked in. “I thought he shouldn’t be left alone.  In case something changed.”

“Did anything change?”

“No,” he said, looking back toward the bed.  “Did you get a call in to Dr. Tovar’s replacement?”

“No.  I canceled his meeting for this afternoon with Gregor.”

A raspy voice rose from the bed as Miles was consumed by a coughing fit. “I could have made the meeting,” he insisted.

Ekaterin looked at Roic and they shared a look.  “Of course, dear,” she replied.  “But Gregor would prefer not to catch your ‘allergies.’”

“You didn’t call that awful Dr. Blankensheim, did you?” Miles choked out.

“No, I didn’t.  But...”

“Good.”

“Miles...” she began, concerned.  Suddenly, she noticed as Roic listened intently to his ear bud.  He smiled slowly and spoke quietly into his transmitter.

A few moments later a short blond man was escorted into the room.  Ekaterin suppressed a grin.  “Dr. Collins, I didn’t think you made house calls.”

The Imperial Residence Physician looked around the room and agreed, “Under normal circumstances, I don’t.”  He spotted Miles in bed and continued, “But when the Emperor calls you into his office and asks you to, I don’t argue.”

Miles tried to sit up and began coughing again, “That’s not fair,” he protested weakly.

“Fair or not,” said the smiling doctor, “he asked me to come check on you since your doctor was out of town.”

Ekaterin watched as the doctor began pulling various instruments from his bag and said, “Then I will let you two take care of it.”  She smiled and ushered Roic from the room and closed the door.

“I will have to thank Gregor for this later,” she said to no one in particular.

“I am sure he understands, milady,” said Roic as he moved to sit in a conveniently placed chair pulling out the unread pad again.

Half an hour later, Dr. Collins appeared.  At Ekaterin’s concerned look he began, “His ‘allergies’ were, as you guessed, not allergies.”

She nodded in agreement.  “I knew that, but he was so insistent.”

“He has a respiratory infection that would have gone to pneumonia if left untreated for much longer.  I gave him something for now and will have the rest of the prescription sent over from the pharmacy when I get back to the office and can order it from there.”

She sighed.

“I will be by to check on him in the morning,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said.  “And if you see Gregor please give him my thanks as well.”

“Of course, milady,” he said.  He walked to the door, stopped, and turned back.  “I believe it was the Empress who suggested that I make the housecall.  Something about stubborn Vor men and not taking care of themselves.”

Ekaterin smiled.  Some things were the same everywhere.


End file.
